The Kitchen!

This week has been busy, with lots of preparations, a few contractions each day to remind us why we’re preparing, some scary stuff, and even some fun downtime.  Mostly, though, we worked on the house, with bits of follow-up from our road trip thrown in for “breaks.”

A few highlights…Matthew got more work done on the bathroom.  Have I explained our bathroom situation?  No?  Well, then, I won’t be shy of a post topic for another day…maybe when things progress a little further.  Just know that we only have a shower at the moment…and it’s in the basement.  It works well and the kids love to shower, so no big deal there.

Matthew spent a few days at the hangar at MAF HQ with a couple of pilots doing standardization, or learning about the MAF way of flying.  He didn’t partake in all of the Ground School portion, but some parts are good to know as he heads into management.

Thursday my mom called with news that my dad had awakened with heart attack symptoms and went into the hospital.  His EKG was not helpful, so they admitted him overnight and did a stress test.  The end results was that it was not a heart attack and no signs of blockage.  Yay!  Still not sure what it was…but, I’m super grateful.  Not only for him to be okay, but because they’re driving here tomorrow to be on baby watch with us in order to take Levi and Amelia when baby arrives…and I was sad it would be missed (and sad that I couldn’t go see him in my current condition if I’d needed to).  Though, we are also really blessed two have two families who have volunteered to take them this week just in case, even at three in the morning.  We have a really awesome church family.

Anyway, Thursday night our church met out at the Farmstead, a local fall place with a corn maze, hay rides, pumpkin patch, and all sorts of fun things.  Amelia LOVED the sheep – this is an understatement.  Both kids loved the hay ride and the giant pillow jump-y thing.  I was sure they would get bounced too much, get scared, and begin to cry right as Matthew headed to get some coffee, leaving me helpless, unless you want to see a whale on a giant pillow of air, but they laughed so hard the entire time, which saved me from any unnecessary bouncing.

Riding the train. Amelia MAY still have some pork chop from dinner stuffed in her cheek.

Levi ready for the Grain Train

They wouldn’t stop laughing…Amelia is the one lying in front of Levi.

Then they were both laying down and bouncing. How they didn’t get stepped on, I have no idea…

We wanted to do the corn maze, and so we headed in…unprepared.  We didn’t know there were maps (this cornmaze is very very big), but thankfully someone handed us there’s as they left, and we didn’t have any light.  Our $10 cell phone wasn’t going to be much help and the sun was setting fast.  Ah well, yay for adventure.  I even had a few good contractions (just the practice kind, don’t worry) while we were in there!  Even MORE adventure!

My poor dad called right in the middle of racing the setting sun in the corn maze – the first I’d talked with him since going in the hospital.  What do you DO?  “Hi Dad, let me hear about your [possible] heart attack, but first I need to get out of this corn maze before it gets pitch black outside, k?”  I’m glad it wasn’t too bad in the end.  Sorry, Dad.

Friday was more work on the house and then I got to go to our church’s ladies night.  Such a fun opportunity to get to know some new people and simply get out of the house.  It was wine and cheese themed, so an especially good excuse to sit around a while.  We are so excited to be in a church home while we are in the states – it’s very refreshing.  Tomorrow we become members and the church is excited to be able to support us in this way as we are abroad.

But, probably the most exciting this week, really, is that the kitchen is one step closer to completion.  If I waited until it’s actual completion to take pictures, you might be waiting a while, so I thought I’d post some premature pictures…hope you don’t mind.  But, you’ll remember Monday’s floor drama?  So glad that it is over (minus a transition piece into the dining room…but that’s coming, I’m told)!  We still need to paint cupboards and change out the hardware to it’s consistent, but you can look past that, right?

Our house was built in 1947, though this carving into the cement pad between the house and the garage suggest it was started a bit sooner.  Either way, we love it and the era.

It says “1945 D.D.”

Before…look at the floor. Just. look. at. it.

This is a great picture of the after…Matthew took it with glee as he pointed out: “Look! Pregnant, barefoot, and in the kitchen!”

A view of the floor. Also, Levi was talking to me and not pleased about my distraction.

Before…with the world’s ugliest wall paper, right?

The after…so much better!

Practical art (they’re trivets)

Just a few minutes ago we added the valance. I made these for our house in Alaska.

So, there you go…a bit of our kitchen and our work these past few weeks…as we get more stuff done, we’ll share.  Meanwhile, we’re wrapping up our latest prayer letter AND our first prayer email, so be looking for those.  If you’re not connected with us to get those, then just drop us an email and let us know you’d like to be!